Main Artery Torn: Woman Died Because Clinics Refused Her
Because no specialized hospital could continue treating a woman from Mühlviertel, the woman died according to a report by the "Kronen Zeitung" on Sunday. The 55-year-old initially sought help at the hospital in Rohrbach due to chest pain. The fact that there were rejections from other clinics has now also led to political reactions in Upper Austria.
Rejections from Clinics: 55-Year-Old Woman from Mühlviertel Died
According to the "Krone" report, it was determined on the evening of October 14 in Rohrbach that the woman's main artery was torn. There was thus an acute danger to life. Although the doctors immediately ordered a transport to an appropriate hospital, admission to the Kepler University Hospital in Linz was refused due to capacity reasons.
There were also rejections from the religious hospitals in the state capital (Barmherzige Brüder, Elisabethinen), from the Wels-Grieskirchen Clinic, the university hospitals in Salzburg and St. Pölten, as well as from the Passau Clinic. According to the "Krone", the 55-year-old died in the late evening hours.
Extensive Clarification Demanded
The Deputy Governor responsible for health, Christine Haberlander (ÖVP), said according to ORF Upper Austria, it was "completely incomprehensible to her that neither in the state nor across state borders was rapid assistance possible." She instructed the health holding to clarify the events and emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive analysis of the processes. All involved organizations have the responsibility to learn from this case and to examine how improvements in the care of patients can be achieved, said Haberlander.
"Tragedy Must Be a Wake-Up Call"
Peter Binder, Third President of the Upper Austrian State Parliament and SPÖ health spokesperson, reacted "shocked" on Sunday. It was "hardly conceivable that something like this is even possible in our hospital landscape." Complete clarification is "the top priority of the hour." There are increasing massive indications "that we are heading towards a total system failure if we do not act quickly!" Binder stated.
"That in a modern health system a person dies because no intensive care bed is available simply must not happen," emphasized Linz FPÖ City Councilor Michael Raml. The incident shows that the Upper Austrian hospital system has reached its limits - organizationally, personnel-wise, and structurally. "This tragedy must be a wake-up call. We need to relieve the hospitals, pool competencies, and finally utilize digitalization," said Raml in a statement.
Member of Parliament Ralph Schallmeiner, health spokesperson for the Greens, identified "emergency signals of an overloaded, fragmented system" in a statement. The states and the Ministry of Health must finally take action. "Above all, the federal states must stop constantly blocking or postponing important reforms of our healthcare system," said the representative.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.